Fresh water storage tank cleaning

[hillsonwheels]

Anyone willing to share thoughts on the ABC's of how they go about chlorinating/disinfecting the fresh water tank? The frequency it should be done?

Don't know how often it should be done but it seems to me it should be as simple as adding some clorox, filling to overflow and draining. Am I on the right track or over simplifying?

Do understand that over time some bad critters can take up residence in the tank and make a feller very sick!

Any/all advice will be appreciated....Thanks.....Dick

 

[beardedone]

Hi. I put some bleach in the tank and either fill it up and then drain or only fill part way and then go for a drive so it sloshes around and drain. After that I put some baking soda in the tank and slosh it around in order to "freshen" up the tank. You don't need much bleach and I can't remember how much baking soda I put in but at least several large tablespoons of it. Kind of seat of the pants but it works.

 

[cookie]

Dick, one more thing I would do is when you have your bleach solution in your tank, open the faucets and run them till you smell the clorine at the tap. Both hot and cold water. The hot side does not need to be hot, but you should run it through the hot lines as well as the cold side. I leave the bleaced water in the lines for at least a half hour. Then drain and rinse the system.
Peace
Dave

 

[rwoodall]

I do our tank about once every 6 months. I use a ¼ cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water this will work for 15 gallons of tank capacity. Our fresh water tank is 75 gallons so it took 5 gallons of mix and fill tank with water. Once in the tank run through each faucet until you smell the bleach. You can drive around, (I never do ) then let it sit over night. Next day drain and refill tank then flush lines with clear water. The other comments regarding the banking soda will work if there is still a bleach smell in the water.

 

[hillsonwheels]

Thanks for the responses. Feel good that I was on the right track. Hadn't really thought about amounts of bleach or even using baking soda as a freshener. Do know that most folks, me included, tend to think that if a little bleach is good then a bunch is better.

Dick

 

[jmgratz]

Be careful about using too much bleach as it will take forever to get the taste and smell out.

 

[htneighbors]

Don't drink tap water! Buy bottled!

 

[JohnDar]

I do our tank about once every 6 months. I use a ¼ cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water this will work for 15 gallons of tank capacity. Our fresh water tank is 75 gallons so it took 5 gallons of mix and fill tank with water. Once in the tank run through each faucet until you smell the bleach. You can drive around, (I never do ) then let it sit over night. Next day drain and refill tank then flush lines with clear water. The other comments regarding the banking soda will work if there is still a bleach smell in the water.

I'm curious where you drain the tank at. With 75 gallons of water, do you just have a lifeboat drill and dump it on the ground at your campsite? Or do you run a line from the barbed fitting on the tank drain into the sewer? With our former TT, I could do it (30 gal.) on the driveway, no problem. The 3670 will never see my driveway (too big!). Ours is sitting on a seasonal site, connected to "city" water via my two filter system, but I'd like to keep the tank and pump clean.